Emery was asked whether he could fire coach Lovie Smith, which we know he can’t do until next year because that’s what team president Ted Phillips said because presumably that’s what Viginia McCaskey told him to say.

Or maybe new McChairman George McCaskey told Phillips that’s what mom said. Whatever, Emery has no authority over the coach this year the way real organizations works.

So, Emery was asked if a decision on Smith next year would be based on making the playoffs this season. Simple question. Direct. A lot more direct and a lot more lucid that Emery’s gobbledygook answer:

“I don’t look at it in terms of standards. We’re all evaluated every day on how we interact with people, how we provide leadership, how we use our talent and resources.’’

What. A. Crock.

Sorry, pal, but that’s not the case with a coach. Coaches indeed have a standard. It’s called the playoffs. Coaches are not evaluated every day on “interacting with people.’’ Wait, did Emery really say “interacting with people’’? What hooey. Like Smith is a Wal-Mart greeter.

No, coaches are not evaluated on interacting with people or leadership or using talent and resources. Coaches are evaluated on winning and losing. Period. Next.

Winning is the only barometer for coaches. Losing is unemployment.

Emery apparently has a problem speaking plainly at times, same as Jerry Angelo was always getting flagged for false starts on his clichés. Emery loves him some buzzwords, doesn't he? Yeah, he'll drop some “standards’’ and “expertise’’ on you, which is a professional way of telling Bears fans nothing.

Clearly, Emery views the media as the enemy because reporters are trying to find out things that Emery doesn’t want anyone to know. Fine. We’ve been hated by better people, but I get that.

Part of Emery’s plan apparently is to bore the media to death. Emery is channeling his inner Belichick in terms of meaningless blather. Better he should channel his inner Belichick in evaluating talent, but that’s thousands of mind-numbing non-answers away.

In the meantime, don’t play Bears fans for stupid.

Just for yuks, let’s say Virginia McCaskey allows Emery to exercise his alleged contractual right to replace the coach and Emery fires Smith next year. Why do you think Emery would do that?

Do you think he would fire the coach for failing to “interact with people’’? Do you think he would fire Smith for failing to “provide leadership’’? Do you think he would whack Smith for failing to “use talent and resources’’?

No way. No freakin’ way.

Sure, Emery would blather on about those concepts. I guarantee that. But Smith would be fired for one reason: failing to make the playoffs for what would be the fifth time in six years.

That’s the “standard.’’ That’s the reality. I don’t know why Emery found it so hard to sound as if he was in the real world.

Wait, wasn’t Emery at the Naval Academy? Go ask those people if “interacting with people’’ and “leadership’’ and “resources’’ matter more than winning or losing when it comes to war.

The Bears are all about winning championships. The new McChairman said it. The old team president said it. Championships. Super Bowls. That’s the standard for the Bears.

Except for the new GM when he assesses the man holding the one position that can affect that outcome more than any other. So Bears.

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